Zainab Gull Khana working journal

chapter by chapter —

The Story So Far

Six chapters, roughly in order, from a first line of Python to a final year project meant to protect other people’s software.

Chapter I

First Lines

It started with a blinking cursor and a Python tutorial I didn't fully understand. What kept me there wasn't the syntax — it was the moment a program finally did what I told it to. That small, stubborn satisfaction never really left.

Chapter II

The Logic of Things

Algorithms became a second language. I liked that a problem could be taken apart, examined piece by piece, and rebuilt into something faster, cleaner, correct. Competitive problem sets taught me patience before they taught me anything about code.

Chapter III

Teaching What I Was Still Learning

As a Teaching Assistant at Forman Christian College, I spent as much time debugging my own assumptions as I did debugging student code. Explaining a concept out loud is the fastest way to find the gap in your own understanding.

Chapter IV

Into Intelligent Systems

Machine learning pulled me toward a different kind of question — not just 'does this work' but 'why does the model believe what it believes.' Building a heart disease predictor taught me that accuracy is a story you have to earn, feature by feature.

Chapter V

Building With Intention

An internship at Bitz Studio put me in front of real users, real deadlines, and real consequences. I learned to build software that other people depend on — responsive interfaces, dependable APIs, and the unglamorous discipline of agile teams.

Chapter VI

Guarding the Systems I Build

Cybersecurity became the natural next question: if I can build it, can I also break it — and can I make it harder to break? That question became Aegis Chain, the project that ties everything I've learned into one place.

the ledger — experience

Teaching Assistant

Forman Christian College · February 2024 — June 2026

  • Mentored undergraduate students through core programming coursework
  • Led debugging sessions that strengthened student fundamentals
  • Translated dense technical material into clear, approachable explanations

Full Stack Development Intern

Bitz Studio · June 2024 — September 2024

  • Built responsive UI components integrated with backend APIs
  • Worked directly with database integration and data flow design
  • Practiced agile ceremonies within a real, cross-functional team

the ledger — education

BS Computer Science, Minor in Mathematics

Forman Christian College (A Chartered University)

CGPA: 3.7 / 4.0

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